A Shotgun Blast to the Face
by The Cannibal Sammich
Summary: The quiet, small town life of Molly Hardt will never be the same after her home is attacked by a terrorist group. Taken hostage by this group of savages, will she learn to survive? Can she adapt? Only time can tell.
1. Primer

"Molly, watch after your brother!"

The girl rolled her eyes, holding the door open while her younger brother ran out at full speed, leaping past her with a holler. "Yes ma'am," she called back while letting the door fall closed behind her, chasing after her brother. "Wait up, Izak! Geez…"

Molly followed her brother while he hopped around through the grass, leaping after insects and small creature alike in feeble attempts to catch them. The sun was high overhead today, casting rather small shadows across the flat landscape, blades of grass fanning to and fro in the mild breeze. It didn't take long for the heat to work up a thin layer of sweat of Molly's pale skin while she chased her brother around, playing games like tag and hide-and-seek - luckily, the light touch of the wind kept her from getting too warm, keeping her nice and cool.

"Molly, look what I found!"

With a sigh and a shake of her head, the girl jogged over to where her brother was kneeling, peering over his shoulder. "You gonna show it to me?" she asked expectantly. There was a long pause where neither moved nor spoke, causing her to worry a bit. "Izak…?"

She leaned down to touch his shoulder, and he jumped, turning around and unleashing a torrent of large, slimy earth worms all over her blouse. Molly let out a squeal, falling back onto her bum while scraping at the disgusting little things. "Izak!" the sister nearly screamed, earning a satisfying cackle from the little devil. With new life, Molly jumped to her feet and took off after her brother.

After a few minutes of chasing him, the boy got smart and took off into the trees that surrounded their quant little community. With a growl of frustration, Molly followed suit, dodging around trees and trading insults with the snot-nosed little monster. Izak was quick, and his smaller frame let him navigate through the more dense areas better than she could.

Finally, they breached yet again through the trees, back out into the open grasslands, and the girl tackled her little brother, landing atop him. He shouted in protest, but Molly held his wriggling form down by his shoulders, pinning him to the earth beneath him. "I'm gonna make you _eat_ worms, you little brat!" Despite his protests and squirming, the boy was laughing, amused greatly by the situation and the successful prank. It was always a good day for younger sibling when they managed to successfully torture their family.

Molly smirked, hopping up off of him. "Just wait until dinner tonight."

The boy hopped up after her, looking offended. "You wouldn't dare," he accused, pointing his finger at her.

"I would so," she corrected him. "And don't you know that it's rude to point, shrimp?"

Izak stuck his tongue out from between his lips, blowing at his sister. "Old bag!"

Molly gasped, face flushing in anger. "I am not an old bag - !" she stopped short, going still, eyes focused at a spot behind her younger brother. Her eyes were focused on the form in the grass, mouth taut, whole body tensed.

The boy was confused, tilting his head. "Molly? What's wrong?"

She almost didn't hear him. Slowly, carefully, the girl gestured towards herself. "Izak, come here sweetie."

The boy wrinkled his nose. "I'm not a sweetie!" To accent his point, the small boy stomped his foot, arms crossing in front of him. She could see it coming, she knew it was about to happen, but her body was too slow to react; there was nothing she could do to keep the form from shooting out and latching onto her brother's thin, frail calf. They both screamed, frightening the creature just enough to cause it to retreat.

Molly grabbed her brother's hand, jerking him up off the ground. She struggled with getting him behind her while her other hand fumbled numbly at her hip, eventually finding the button that she was looking for.

There was a flash of red light.

As it faded, a large blue form stood between them and the massive, coiling black snake. "Marill!" the girl screeched. The thing looked around in confusion, eyes darting between its master, the threat, and the young boy. "It bit Izak," she stuttered out, eyes still wide, her brother cradled in her arms now. The blue creature let out a growl and planted itself firmly in the snake's path.

"Bubblebeam!"

Marill reared its head back for a moment before pointing at its opponent and sending forth a large blast of bubbles. They smacked into the creature, knocking it back and earning a loud and aggravated hiss from it. It launched itself at Marill, bladed tail glowing purple. Molly didn't even have time to tell her Pokemon to dodge the attack; luckily, though, she didn't have to. Marill leapt to the side, sliding away from the attack and launching another blast of bubbles. They scored another direct hit and the snake hissed again, this time turning and streaking away through the tall grass.

The blue creature began to chase it, but Molly called it back. "We don't have time! We have to get Izak back to the house!" Molly began to look around, finally realizing just how far they'd run while playing earlier. In the distance, she could just barely make out the cluster of houses in which they lived. Molly whimpered, shifting her brother slowly to her back. "Izak, Izak baby hold on okay?" Through sniffled the boy wrapped himself tightly around his sister. "I know it hurts, but be strong for me, alright? I'm gonna get you home as fast as I can…"

There was no response except for another sniffle. She was surprised by her little brother's strength; if she had been bitten by something like that at his age she would still be crying. "Marill, watch out for any more wild Pokemon, alright?"

And with that she began the long walk home, toting her brother on her back.

Sometime while they were running the breeze must have died down, because now Molly was very much uncomfortable and there was no touch of wind to redeem her from the heat. The sweat built up as she marched, eyes focusing on the ground just a few steps ahead of her to make sure she didn't trip.

They'd been walking for about ten minutes when her brother's voice came from behind her, barely louder than a whisper. "Do you think Mr. Bobby is cooking…?"

Molly blinked at her brother's odd question, turning slightly to glance back at him. "I dunno, bud. Why are you asking?" He didn't speak, responding instead with a point from over her shoulder. The girl glanced up to see what he was pointing at. It took a second, but then she noticed it: smoke. It was rising slowly from the community they were walking towards. Bobby and Charlotte, their neighbors, sometimes had cookouts in the fire pit in their back yard, but that was a lot of smoke…

The girl's legs began to carry her just a bit faster. "Yeah, Izak, they're probably just cooking," Molly lied.

_Probably just cooking…_


	2. Abduction

**A/N: Thank you for coming back! You, who read the first chapter and decided that you wanted more! Please feel free to comment/review; I would absolutely love it. I do not own the pokemon world, obviously, but I do own the original characters seen here. Please enjoy!**

Every step that Molly took solidified the fact that something was wrong. The smoke was too much for a simple cookout; someone's house had to be on fire. Speeding up to a jog, Molly contemplated who's house it might be. Mrs. Gray was always spending so much time on her hair; she probably left her straightener on or something stupid like that.

As she bounced through the grass with her Marill by her side, Izak's arms wrapped tighter around her. She tilted her a bit to get a peak at him through her soft, blond hair. "You okay back there?" The boy nodded, eyes closed. He was sweating a lot; Molly had a feeling that the heat was only partially responsible. Weren't you supposed to ask someone questions when they were in shock? Or was that concussions?

Shit. For once, the girl wished she'd paid more attention to her mother's health classes. Deciding that it couldn't hurt, she cleared her throat, trying to think of things to ask. "Hey Izak, how long until your birthday?" The boy paused, silent for a long time, then shrugged, mumbling something about a few months. She paused, mulling his answer over in her head. She was in the middle of trying to remember just when his birthday actually was when there was a scream.

Molly froze, chills running up her spine. She'd never heard anyone scream like that before; it wasn't a scream of surprise or anger, but of pure terror. There was something awful about the way the sound grated on her ears, and something even worse about the way the scream turned to an abrupt and chilling silence. Somehow the quite after the scream was worse than the scream itself, and Molly found herself wishing that whoever was shouting would start up again, just to fill the haunting silence.

"M… Molly…?"

The voice was soft and weak, just a timid whisper over her shoulder. The girl immediately knelt down, ushering him off of her. She pulled him around in front of her so she could check him over; he was so much worse than she'd thought. He was absolutely drenched in sweat, face pale, body occasionally jerking in small twitches. "Oh my god…"

Embracing her brother, Molly felt the tears start to well up beneath her eyes, building until they finally began to flow down her cheeks, cascading down to her chin where they gathered and then fell in large, full droplets, splattering against the soft fabric of Izak's shirt where they left naught but a dark spot on the green cloth.

Why was this happening?

Why was _any _of this happening?

The fire, the screaming, her brother being bitten…

Molly whimpered softly, hugging her baby brother's limp form tighter to her chest. She needed to get him help, but she was afraid of what could be happening. Was it just a fire? That scream had really set her nerves on end, and the more that Molly looked at the smoke trail ahead, the more it seemed too excessive even for a single house fire.

_What in the hell is happening…?_

Just then she felt a violent shaking against her chest and pulled away, wiping the sweat from her brother's face. He was coughing, hard, barely able to lift his hand to his mouth. "Izak…"

The girl bit her lip softly, trying to be brave. She laid the boy down in the grass, petting his hair out of his face. His eyes were closed and he was whimpering softly, shaking ever so slightly. She had to get him help. Molly stood slowly, a resolution building. "Marill, protect him with your life until I get back." The blue creature gave a sort of salute, the best it could manage with its tiny forelimbs.

Turning, Molly began to run, quickly breaking into a sprint while her eyes continued to fill with tears. The girl could barely see where she was running, but it wasn't a hard journey, just a straight line…

Right into the mouth of hell.

As Molly got close enough to her home, she could tell something awful just by the sounds coming from the small village. It was a sound she knew well on a smaller scale, but nothing like this. The soft crackle of flames had given way to the roar of a blazing inferno, much louder than something completely ethereal had any business being.

Columns of smoke rose into the air in every direction, but she didn't dare stop; she had to find her parents. The thick, black substance filled the air, making everything putrid, unbreathable. It was awful; she couldn't see, her chest hurt… the girl cried out for someone, for her mother, her father, for anyone, but all she could hear was the roaring of that goddamned flame coming from every direction, blocking out even the sound of her own screams as she collapsed to the ground, coughing and gagging, sucking in the cooler, wetter air next to the ground.

"Why…"

What had she done to deserve this? What could she possibly have done to attract the universe's attention and warrant this awful punch to the face? Her brother was dying on the ground while she crawled around through the ashes of her home town.

The heat was unbearable, and the longer that she was there the harder it got to breathe. Fire burned off of oxygen, and it seemed that it was running thin in the middle of the burning village. Molly sighed, collapsing softly into the ground beneath her, blades of grass tickling her face lightly. She turned her head to the side, eyes searching for any sign of hope and when she found none, well…

She gave up.

Just as consciousness was beginning to fade from her, there was a sharp pain in her side and she was forcefully rolled onto her back. She squinted up through the smoke but could see nothing but shadows. They got closer, forms becoming something roughly human.

"Looks like this one's still alive."

"How the fuck did we miss her?"

There was a pause, something touched her cheek, something rough. "What do we do with her?" She couldn't make out the next thing said, but she was vaguely aware of her shirt being moved. She began to fight it, but before she could even make herself move she was being lifted into the air, body going limp.

Just before unconsciousness claimed her, Molly heard a harsh voice call out from somewhere nearby. "She's… might as well…with us."

"You're… time…"

"It's not like… hurt…"

"It's… call…"

"…"

And darkness took her.

A/N: Okay, hope you liked it and remember, please leave a review with any comments you have. I'd love to hear a bit of input from you guys. And if you really liked it, then make sure to let me know so I'll have the motivation to write more.


	3. Awakening

**A/N: Sorry about the wait, guys. College steals your soul, not to mention your spare time. But now, onto more pressing matters! I can't believe this actually got a review! I'm so excited. I never intended for this to receive this number of views. I know it's not that impressive, but it's pretty exciting for me. **

**So thank you! Thanks to everyone who's decided to read my story, and a special thanks to Nellie for leaving a review! Thanks so much! I hope you guys like this chapter as much as you liked the others, and please forgive the slow beginning to this one~!  
**

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Shadows passed by her face, followed by a bright flash of light. Molly awoke with a start, glancing around in confusion as her eyes took in the sight of a forest on fire for the first time. The ground was shaking; all around her flames danced like sprites, twirling between branches and leaves, leaving behind nothing but ash.

Despite the scene before her, Molly felt an odd sort of calm. There was no terror in her eyes this time as she watched the fire dance and spin; she knew that she wasn't in danger this time. For some reason, the girl knew that if she just walked through the flames she would be okay.

So she did.

Molly passed safely through the wall of fire, breaching through it without harm, no heat, no pain, just a little bit of ash. On the other side of the inferno, everything was oddly peaceful. Pokemon grazed, a pair of young Sentrets wrestling in the tall grass, spinning and bouncing while they played, uninterrupted by the scene of destruction behind her.

Feelings of wanderlust passed through her; this isn't where she needed to be. It was somewhere else; she couldn't stop here. So Molly moved, passing through the Pokemon, walking right by them without spooking them or bothering them in the slightest. She wasn't sure where exactly she was going, but it definitely wasn't here.

As she walked through the woods, odd feelings of déjà-vu passed through her. This was familiar, way too familiar to be coincidence. She couldn't place it exactly, but she could tell she'd been to this forest before. As Molly trekked on towards an unknown goal, the ground continued to shake, getting more violent with each step she took; still, she found no issue walking on the stirring earth.

Eventually the trees parted and gave way to a massive lake that expanded in every direction. Molly walked the shallow land bridge that led to the center of the lake, glancing occasionally over her shoulder only to find that behind her, the bridge was being swallowed up by the lake. Eventually the bridge ended at a small, circular island. The girl stepped off of the dirt bridge and onto the stone slab, feeling a slight rotation beneath her.

Looking out, the lake was shaking, waves crashing high enough to sink most ships, but beneath her the stone island did little more than shiver. Clouds gathered and lightning began to strike the lake, coursing brilliantly across the empty space before its majesty was drowned out by deafening thunder.

Lightning flashed in front of her, striking her body.

Everything was light.

Then darkness.

…

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Molly lurched, her head slamming into something very solid. The girl groaned, skull pounding, a sudden wave of nausea wracking her body as she rolled onto her knees, jerking awkwardly. The position she'd been sleeping in had caused her arms to fall asleep; she could not get them to move like she wanted, couldn't brace herself on her hands.

She… She couldn't see either. It was abnormally dark, pitch black compared to the normal dim lighting that flowed into the room when she slept. As the girl gasped for breath in her sudden and panicked awakening, she found it hard to draw in air, an annoying wad of cloth invading her mouth every time she took in a deep breath through it. Was she lying against her blankets?

God, she was going to suffocate herself if her arms didn't start working properly soon. In a fit of annoyance and desperation to escape the feeling of enclosedness that surrounded her, Molly twisted herself hard, rolling onto her back. There was a sharp pain as her arms pinched together behind her back, still stuck in the same awkward positioning they'd been in when she'd awoken from her nightmare.

The new position did nothing to fix her problems. Her breathing came quicker, drawing more of the cloth into her mouth as she tried to pull the air in through it, tossing her head violently from side to side to try and get rid of the invasion. She could feel the tears beginning to well, feel her eyes beginning to sting. Why wouldn't it just let her go!

Molly rolled onto her side, drawing in one final breath before kicking out hard and letting out a frighteningly powerful scream. Her feet slammed into something solid, producing a thud. The scream echoed loudly, wrapping itself around her like a sweater but providing no warmth, only a haunting backdrop to the frightening situation she had awoken to.

Slowly, images began to pour into her mind. First was the sight of her brother being attacked by that wild Pokemon, followed by the sight of her home town set ablaze. Her arms still itched from the heat; Molly could feel the choking, black smoke filling her lungs again.

The girl's thoughts were interrupted by a gruff shout. Molly went completely still, suddenly very afraid.

Whose voice was that? Where were they? Why couldn't she see them?

There was a soft screech, like metal on metal, and suddenly there were hands on her. Molly fought weakly as she was hauled to her feet, standing weakly, shaking, pushing against them, screaming for help again.

"I told you she'd be way more trouble than she was worth!"

"Can you shut her up, please?"

There was a soft growl, then the unpleasant pressure surrounding her face was ripped away violently, snatching on her hair as it came off. Light flooded the girl's unadjusted pupils, causing her to blink violently against the silhouettes before her. Molly's attempts to fight the hands on her did not cease; the grip on her arms tightened.

"Come on, quit all that."

Molly whimpered, squinting up at the closest silhouette. She couldn't make out much, only that it was a man, and that he was very large. The man leaned down to her level, grinning wildly in her face.

"Welcome to The Lion's Den."

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A/N: So sorry again about the wait. If there's any continued interest in this story, please let me know and I'll try to keep publishing chapters at a more reasonable pace. That said, if you enjoyed this chapter, please leave me a review! If you didn't, also feel free to leave a review; I welcome criticism.


	4. Isolation

**A/N: See, I told you that I would put out more chapters at a reasonable pace.**

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Somewhere in the world, there was a nice, peaceful forest where everything was okay. There were trees in plenty, supplying both food and shelter for those that needed it; a stream wove lazily through the landscape, turning the land both fertile and habitable for the Pokemon that needed a large source of water. The clouds drifted calmly overhead as flocks of Chatot gathered, producing soothing melodies and soft whispers of song. Stantler graze stagnantly, herds of them covering the soft grass as schools of Goldeen swim about, swirling patterns of orange and white that were almost mesmerizing to watch.

It was there that time seemed to stand still; one could wander through these woodlands for hours and hours on end, enjoying the scents of pine and the sweetest tasting air that one could breathe. It was here that one could truly forget about what they were feeling, forget about everything, really, and let go of everything. Here there were no more frustrations, no more fears, and no more responsibilities. This forest was a magical place, free of the everyday bustle that seemed to keep so many people on the edge of mental breakdown. It was truly the closest thing that one could find to heaven on this tiny, spinning rock that everyone called home.

Unfortunately for Molly Hardt, that forest was too far away to be of any use now. Instead, she sat alone in a cold, damp room, no lighting save for the moonlight that traipsed in through the small square window that served as her only connection to the outside world - and coming in at about a square foot of two inch, reinforced bullet proof glass, it was a hell of a portal to the nature that she was so used to being surrounded with.

The first night of her stay in this hellhole was spent crying in disbelief. Even now, the scene of her awakening still replayed in her head - from the dream that had awoken her, the panic that she felt as that hood nearly suffocated her, and the look on that man's face when he snatched said hood off of her head, finally allowing her to see and breathe normally.

She could still recall that stupid smirk that he wore as he announced her welcome to "The Seviper's Nest," which was really just an absolutely terrible name, being both boring and cliché as all hell. The memories were still so fresh on her mind; she could still remember the way that she shook as those rough hands held her arms, restraining her even more than the handcuffs that bound her arms behind her.

Everything about the situation seemed surreal; it was the kind of thing that happened in books and movies, not in the real life - most certainly not in _her_ life. There was still a small part of Molly that clung to the idea that everything happening around her was a dream; that she would wake up soon and return to her daily life of a boring mother and annoying younger brother.

A small whimper hitched itself in Molly's throat, tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of her family. The last thing she could recall before passing out in exhaustion was the sight of her house aflame, the last known location of her mother. Before that, she'd left her poisoned brother alone, sick, possibly worse than that. If no one found him to treat his wounds…

Molly didn't even want to think about that, let alone deal with the mental images that such a sick thought was conjuring. Her baby brother, lying alone in the grass, body splayed unnaturally as his chest drew in slowly, lungs rasping out their final hoorahs as his heartbeat finally went from weak to nonexistent…

The tears were no longer welling; they were now overflowing. Molly balled her hands up in her shirt, threatening to tear the weak fabric in her clutches. Her chest heaved heavily underneath the stress of her sobs, tears falling freely from her cheeks to her lap, splattering against the fabric there and leaving stains of darkness that were almost invisible in the dim lighting that her housing provided.

The young girl looked up to that damned window again, right hand instinctively cradling to her chest, the bruises from her first escape attempt still very much around; it was a miracle that she didn't completely break the appendage by punching at what she had thought was a normal window. There was an expectation of pain, but nothing like what she had received. Once, when she was younger, the young Miss Hardt had actually punched through a window on accident during a fight with her father.

Her father…

Molly ground her teeth together sharply, pushing the tip of her tongue against them as her hands clenched together even harder, knuckles going white with stress. Why had she thought of him, now, when she had so much else on her mind? Why did tonight have to be the first night in almost three months that she had thought of him, thought of how she missed him, thought of how she would miss him teaching her about life, dancing together at her wedding someday, and the look on his face when he would one day hold his very own grandchild.

Tonight was going to be the night, then, that she remembered the taste of her own father's blood as it ran down her face and into her open, sobbing mouth. Tonight was the night that she would remember the last words his father ever spoke to her, his daughter, at the ripe age of thirteen.

Burying herself against her knees, Molly closed her eyes, desperate for sleep. Crying always made the girl feel incredibly drained, as if every tear had just a bit of her life force inside of it. Glancing over at the small, prison style bed that sat in the corner of her room, Molly sighed loudly. She was so tired of sleeping on that uncomfortable mattress. After the first night, someone had given her a pillow to sleep on; the third night brought a thin, ragged blanket to cover her shaking body with. It wasn't much, but it was the only real compassion that she had received since she was taken to this place, and it was better than the first night of lying there with nothing to help alleviate the discomfort and bitter cold as her neck became stiff and her muscles ached from shaking for so long.

Molly crawled slowly to the edge of the wall mounted bed, too weak to stand at this point. The food that they occasionally threw her was doing nothing to keep her nourished; it was merely enough to keep her alive. Even now her stomach ached and her bladder burned, full. She would not get a bathroom break until sunrise, however, so there was no point in even thinking about that right now.

The girl hoisted herself up onto the mattress slowly, rolling onto her side carefully. Molly positioned the flat, lifeless pillow beneath her head as well as she could, sliding one arm beneath it to help prop her head up a bit further, sure that her hand would be asleep come morning. The other hand reached down to the thin, scratchy blanket that lay curled up in a pile beside her. It was tugged slowly over her body; Molly was glad that it was at least large enough to cover her completely. Shrugging slightly to get the material over her shoulders, she closed her eyes tiredly.

"Night seven," she muttered, her voice weak from lack of use over the past week. She missed her home; she missed her family. Tonight, though, thinking about that would only lead to more tears, and her eyes already ached from the abundance of crying that she had done all week.

Still, though, she could still hear her father's voice echoing in her ears as she tried to sleep.

"I love you too," she whispered back sadly.

_I miss you…_

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A/N: As always, if there's anything you'd like to relay to me - criticism, ideas, questions - please leave a review. Nothing makes me smile more than seeing that someone took even a miniscule amount of time to leave a piece of their thoughts behind for me to read and enjoy.

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, and I apologize for the lack of action in this chapter.


	5. Acclimation

**A/N: Thank you to Derek and Nellie for the reviews that you left. To Derek, the Marill will be back eventually, but he's on hold for a little while. Now, please enjoy.**

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"Hey, girl!"

Molly jumped up fast, unappreciative of the loud yell and the rapid knocking on the metal door that worked so hard to keep her confined in her prison space. She yelped, flailing her arms as she accidentally slid off of the side of the small mattress, landing on the hard concrete floor with a solid thud. This caused a second, louder yelp, jumping up quickly and reaching around to hold her rear, whining at the sharp pain emanating from her tail bone.

"What do you want from me?" she cried out exasperatedly, tears already threatening to well. This was just absolutely not her morning. The sleep that she was having was so nice, and it was the first time that she had actually rested in a solid week, and then this prick - whichever one it was, because there were several that it could've been - had the gall to interrupt her and ruin her sweet, sweet sleep time? Why! Why couldn't she just get some damn sleep? Why couldn't she just go _home?_

_Because your home is nothing but a heap of ash now._

…The hate that Molly had for her own thoughts sometimes was absolutely astounding. Before she could scold that kind of thinking, there was an annoyed grunt and another series of three knocks from the door. "It's bathroom time. I'm coming in. Get against the wall."

Molly glanced at the door with disgust - just knowing that someone was watching her through that tiny little peephole was enough to nearly drive her insane. At least it wasn't one of the men this time, though. With a grumble and a hand flip at the door, Molly turned around, placing both hands palm down on the wall, and leaned against the cold, metal fortification. There was a short series of beeps, then a click, and the door pushed open. Footsteps sounded behind her, sending shivers up and down her spine.

"Alright, spread your legs a little. You know the routine." The voice behind her was high and soft, like the voice that one's mind would conjure up if it were assigned the job of placing a voice to an image of a fairy. There was an oddity to it, like a tinkling glass, but it was pleasant to listen to - or at least it would've been under literally any other circumstances aside from being kidnapped and held against her will.

Molly whined quietly, slowly shifting her feet on the concrete floor until her legs were spread enough to satisfy her petitioner. The hands started at her hips, sliding down the outside of her legs down to her ankles. There, her socks were checked - she wasn't allowed shoes, but at least she was able to keep her nice woolen socks - before the hands slid back up the inside of her legs, tracing a path just opposite of the way they'd first come. They parted, patting her backside and then moving around to a much more personal area, causing Molly to blush and resist the urge to elbow her assaulter in the face.

"I know; I don't like having to do it either. You're just gonna have to deal."

As the voice behind her stopped, the hands began to move again, finishing the little search. "Do you really think I'd be able to get any kind of weapon in here? You people are watching me twenty-four seven," Molly said, traces of annoyance in her voice. She turned around, leaning back against the wall to stare at her captor, eyeing her up and down.

The woman was short, about five feet even Molly would wager, and thin. She was wearing a pair of camouflage cargo pants that were cinched up at the ankles to reveal a pair of black and green running shoes. Cinching her pants to her lithe frame was a matching belt, with a black tank top hanging loosely over her torso. Her arms were muscular, surprisingly muscular for a girl her size and the left one was covered in some sort of tattoo sleeve from her shoulder to her hand. Her hair was dark, like a Murkrow's feathers, and was short - short for a girl at least.

"You'd be surprised the kinds of things that you can make into a weapon," she responded lightly, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling Molly to stand in front of her. "Now come on, I know you're about to piss yourself; you've gotta be."

Molly blushed. It was true. Her stomach had begun to hurt again the moment that she'd woken up, both from hunger and her straining bladder. When the woman began to push her - at least she was gentle, the rest were rather rough on the poor girl, - Molly did not resist. She simply followed wherever she was guided, already knowing the path but staying at the pace that she was being pushed along.

It wasn't far, just down one hallway and around the corner. As Molly stepped inside, so did the woman. She blushed again, grumbling. Even the men insisted on coming inside to watch her. It was awful. She could always feel their eyes on her while she relieved herself, and it was absolutely one of the most embarrassing feelings in the world, even if she hated those people.

"Do you have to?" she asked with a pout. "I don't like to go in front of people."

The woman paused, then frowned. "I can't leave you alone. You should know that by now. Not until we're sure that you're not a risk."

Molly continued to pout, swaying ever-so-slightly. "But, I'm not a risk!"

She shrugged. "That's not up to you to decide." After that, the woman turned around, putting her back to Molly. "Now, that's as much as you get. Now hurry this up, I've gotta get you back in your cell."

It was small, and would probably seem rather insignificant to most people, but that was only the second time since she'd been here that someone had showed her any kind of affection, and damnit the tears were back. Molly sat down quickly, lowering her pants and sighing softly as she relaxed.

After what seemed like an eternity, they were on their way back through the hall, her cell in sight. The woman pushed her in gently, then paused in the doorway, staring at her as Molly retreated to her bed, sitting down sadly. "You know," she began, "I think I'd rather you have let me die that day…"

The woman arched her brow curiously. "Is that so?"

Looking up at her with a resigned expression, Molly nodded her head. "I… yes… It's awful here."

The woman paused, and then nodded slowly. "I understand. Just give it some more time; like I said, we have to make sure you're not a risk."

Molly sighed and waved at her, gesturing for her to leave as she hung her head. "I'd like to be alone, please." There was a pause, and then the door slid shut, a quick series of beeps coming from the other side before the door locked itself again.

Sitting in the quiet, Molly let out a heavy sigh, mind wandering to thoughts of what exactly was their purpose of keeping her here. It just didn't make any sense! She was a sixteen year old girl who had no kind of professional training in anything. There were no skills that she was an expert in; there was nothing that set her apart from any other average person. So why, after these… monsters… had just finished burning down… an entire town of "average people…" did they go out of their way to keep her alive and bring her back to their little base thing?

Damnit, it just didn't make any sense!

Molly clenched her hands tightly in the pillow that she'd been idly toying with, bringing it up to her mouth to muffle the scream of frustration that came tearing its way out of her throat.

This was going to be a long, awful experience, and she had no way to stop it.

* * *

A/N: Well, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, please feel free - I encourage you, actually - to leave a review with any thoughts, questions, or criticisms that you have.

I know that the chapter was lacking in the action department, just like the last one, but there's story to build right now. Don't worry, though; soon enough the action will be back.

Until next time.


	6. Company

**A/N: Not much to say here, just that school has started so new chapters may be a little slower than normal. College steals your soul, yo. Now, please enjoy. **

**Oh. And this chapter may contain content that could be offensive to some? Maybe? I dunno. I warned you either way though. Now, please enjoy. **

"Let me out of here!"

The heat surrounding the young Molly Hardt was unbearable, the flames licking at the room around her, a small roar building in the background, surrounded by the constant crackle of fire absorbing all in its path. Fists pounded relentlessly against the hard metal door, thuds and bangs echoing throughout the room loudly, barely pushing through the hissing and popping of danger.

The smoke in the room was killing her, both figuratively and literally; she could feel her lungs becoming more damaged and raw with each and every breath that she took, every gasp of what should have been life giving oxygen instead stinging like a chest full of broken glass. The heat kissed her skin, leaving the young girl covered in a sheen of sweat from her forehead down, her clothes practically dripping.

"Please, please! Help! Let me out, let me out!"

Molly continued to scream, her words coming out choked and raspy. She begged, pounding harder on the door. Her fists ached against the metal door, but still she smashed them into it, seeking any kind of relief from the flames that threatened to consume her.

Starved of oxygen, her legs gave out. Her body crashed down to the cold floor, pain surged throughout her body, shooting from her rear and up into her spine. She let out a whimper, leaning against the door that kept her captured here in danger. The air was mildly more breathable this close to the floor, but it didn't matter. The flames continued to dance ever closer, moving like a living creature, creeping across the ground like a waltz, each step bringing her closer to death.

Molly closed her eyes, knowing it was going to hurt. Her arms lifted weakly to protect her face, and she whined softly, giving in to her fate. The flames surged one final time, and the fire consumed her.

…

* * *

Molly jumped with a shout, jerking upright from where she'd been sleeping. Eyes wild, breathing quick and heavy, the girl looked around the room, surveying its current state of flame, or lack thereof.

_Only a dream…_

Molly reached up to touch her forehead, noting the beads of sweat that were gathering, her lungs still struggling to find the breath that they so desperately needed. Biting her lip, Molly curled up against her knees, hiding away from the world and letting out a few well needed tears. She didn't sob, didn't whimper, just let the salty drops of water quietly roll off of her cheeks.

Ten days.

Molly had been locked in this prison for ten long days, and every single one was just as bad as the first. Sure, they'd thrown her a pillow and blanket, and at least the men didn't take her on her bathroom trips anymore, but she was still forced here against her will, fed enough to keep her alive, but not enough to keep her comfortable.

Her mind wandered back to yesterday, and to the strange way that her caretaker had lingered after the bathroom break. It wasn't the first time; she had done it more frequently since the first time - she always stayed by the door, never actually entered the room, never told Molly her name… All she ever really did was make sure that she was okay and tell her to hang on a little longer; "they only needed to make sure she wasn't a threat."

"Assholes," she muttered, wiping her cheeks on the back of her sleeve. Idly, Molly wondered whether it was the same woman who had swung the slight amenities for her, or if perhaps they were all as "kind" as she was.

How much longer would it be until they trusted her not to be a threat? After all, she was a sixteen year old girl who was basically defenseless. What did they possibly think that she could do to them? Hell, they'd taken her only real defense - Molly wondered whether her Maril was safe. Had they done anything to her, or was she okay? Just resting in her pokeball somewhere?

Molly was in the midst of letting out a heavy sigh of annoyance when there was a knock on the door. The girl looked up, a slight smile coming to her face. It was bathroom time again. She stood and began to approach the wall, but before she could the door swung open; in its open frame stood a towering, familiar frame. She froze. Her limbs would not move as the man staggered inside, slamming the door closed behind him with a kick.

"Well, h'llo there, li'l girly," he said with a grin, stepping closer to her. Molly could smell the alcohol on him from there and took a step back, stumbling back onto her bed with a thud. He smirked, continuing to walk until he was right in front of her. "C'mon now, don't be afraid o' me." He reached down and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand, causing her to wince, a soft whine coming from the back of her throat.

She was shaking, her breathing slow and barely there. Leaning away from him, Molly looked down, curling up against her knees. "Please," she began, biting her lip. "Please leave…" She could hear him laughing, feel his hand grasp her by the chin, pulling her head up to look at him.

"I told you not to be afraid o' me, alright?" The man shifted, sliding down onto the bed next to her. "Now why don't you just gimme a kiss, huh?" He leaned at her, face coming close to hers. Molly leaned further away, but his grip on her face was strong. She shouted once, struck out against him, but compared to his mountain of a stature, there was nothing that she could do to get him off of her.

His lips mashed roughly against hers, hard and painful. She pushed against him, tried to turn away from him, but there was nothing she could do to get out of his grasp. She could feel his other hand wandering her body - she felt the fabric of her shirt tearing under his rough, strong hands.

"Please, please stop it!" Molly pulled against him again and pushed his chest hard, trying to shove him off of her. She yelped out in pain as his grip on her jaw strengthened. She was pushed away, and the man let out a painful growl, hand releasing her just long enough to send a sharp backhand into her cheek, sending her sprawling out on the floor.

Molly held her face in disbelief, crawling slowly backwards as the man stood, towering over her prone form, hands going to his belt. "I'ma enjoy this, you li'l bitch…" Before Molly could let out the scream that she was preparing, there was a crash and voices filled the room. Looking over to the door, the man cursed loudly, hands coming up to his defense. "Hey now, I di'nt even touch her," he tried, taking a step back.

There was a loud growling, followed by a sharp order. "Force Palm."

The man backed up again, bumping into the bed and falling onto his rear. "Hold on now, we can talk -" he was cut off by a blue blur flying into him. There was a pause as the man let out a loud "oof," and then there was a pulse of light that sent the man slamming into the wall behind him violently, falling face down onto the floor with a _thump._

Molly blinked in confusion, looking up at the Lucario that stood over the man, still growling. There was another curse, and Molly recognized the woman from before stepping into view. She bent down and took Molly in her arms, hoisting her to a standing position. "Are you okay?" the woman asked, checking her over, noting the bruise on her cheek. "You're bleeding. Did you hit your head?"

Molly blinked again, unable to speak. The woman frowned, pulling her against her side to support some of the dizzy girl's weight. "Come on, let's get that bandaged up." As they stepped outside, the woman paused to enter the lock code for the cell, shaking her head. "I'm so sorry that he touched you. I thought I was watching better than that."

They walked for a moment before entering a small room. The woman placed Molly on a small wooden bench before turning to grab a box off of one of the shelves. She popped it open and grabbed a few things from it, talking while she did, but Molly was too numb to hear the words, or feel whatever it was that she was doing to her head.

Her mind was still back in that room, remembering the monster that had attacked her, and her savior who came in the form of another one of her captors - also known as the last place that she would've expected help to come from. Molly's arms slowly wrapped around herself; her knees curled up, bringing her to something reminiscent of the fetal position.

Sometime ago she'd begun to shake, though the exact moment when couldn't be recalled by the poor girl. Vaguely, Molly became aware of a hand on her cheek; she began to flinch, but this touch was soft and unlike the one before - it felt like compassion and sympathy instead of… the other things…

The girl looked up slowly, eyes glazed over, not feeling the tears that were rolling down her cheeks, not seeing the woman that was staring back at her. Slowly, the tears turned to full sobs, and Molly's world turned black, as she went limp against her captor.

A/N: I hope that you enjoyed. Please leave a review with your thoughts, questions, and criticisms.


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